CJ7 Wiring

hattrick · 10-12-2008, 02:07 PM

I have a 1981 CJ7 with some wiring issues. Old harness is in rough shape with broken connectors, crappy fuse block and brittle wires. Would i be better off installing a painless wiring harness and how long would it take? Is there anywhere i can download a wiring diagram for 1981 CJ7 304? Thanks!

**Mike Romain** · 10-12-2008, 02:39 PM

The CJ Haynes manual has an excellent wiring schematic and the book isn't expensive. I have rewired several using it.

I had a friend who scrapped a GM van and he traded me the harness from that to use. All the plugs and sockets are the same and they hadn't seen weather.

hattrick · 10-12-2008, 02:44 PM

Thanks, Mike. How long to rewire for someone who has never done it?

**Mike Romain** · 10-12-2008, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hattrick

Thanks, Mike. How long to rewire for someone who has never done it?

The harness is modular and comes apart at the back of the fuse panel. As far as harness go, it is a sweet one to work on or replace.

I did mine during a frame up rebuild with a 'glass body tub so had to add grounds everywhere and didn't do it in any particular time frame. I picked at it.

I used pigtails, 8" pieces of wire and the good plugs, from the GM harness and used solder and waterproof heatshrink on all my joints. After 8 more years, the ones I didn't do are failing, not many, but a few inline ones. I am in the rust belt.

Wiring can be a nightmare to someone that has no experience though, so the kits are not a bad way to go. Likely someone else has a time frame for you. I have tons of soldering and harness experience from doing it for a living for a while as well as fixing rusty beaters all the time...

jakefanning · 03-29-2011, 02:13 PM

I have an '81 CJ7. There is a silver metal box on the passenger side fender well under the radiator over flow bottle.There are a lot of wires going in and out. What is it? I can't find it any where on a wiring schematic. It is not the ignition mod.

KenSC · 03-29-2011, 03:04 PM

hattrick,
I am almost finished with rewiring my '79 CJ7, with only the dash wiring left to complete. I installed a generic wiring harness from kwikwire, new turn signal switch and some new light fixtures. The most difficult part was the engine wiring. I am not extremely familiar with engine wiring so I had a friend come over and deal with that part while I focused on the lights and everything else.

You can find a tremendous amount of information on the internet and I suggest you buy a Haynes Manual as well. Jeep/AMC borrowed certain things from Ford and other things from General Motors. And there is one guy on here who makes and sells wiring harnesses. I think his name is Ben. I am sure he can be a good resource for you if you purchase one from him. Take plenty of pictures before you start pulling wires out for reference-only if it was wired correctly to begin with.

benullman · 03-29-2011, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KenSC

hattrick,
I am almost finished with rewiring my '79 CJ7, with only the dash wiring left to complete. I installed a generic wiring harness from kwikwire, new turn signal switch and some new light fixtures. The most difficult part was the engine wiring. I am not extremely familiar with engine wiring so I had a friend come over and deal with that part while I focused on the lights and everything else.

You can find a tremendous amount of information on the internet and I suggest you buy a Haynes Manual as well. Jeep/AMC borrowed certain things from Ford and other things from General Motors. And there is one guy on here who makes and sells wiring harnesses. I think his name is Ben. I am sure he can be a good resource for you if you purchase one from him. Take plenty of pictures before you start pulling wires out for reference-only if it was wired correctly to begin with.

Hey! That sounds like me!!

I am starting to do some rewiring for people. Taking it slow because I m documenting every year and I have a binder for each harness with wire length connectors etc.

Im hoping to get a website up before much longer.

For more info shoot me an E-mail so I can keep track of everyone

bnu @ comcast . net

Ben

**Truck633** · 03-29-2011, 03:44 PM

Look up Jeephammers post on wiring, I will try to find it and post the llink, but it will be later today. The problem I found with the old harness is when you fix one thing, you move the harness just enough to screw something else up......

**yippie21** · 03-29-2011, 04:11 PM

Jake... I don't know. Do you have an ignition module on the drivers side fender? Maybe the PO moved it.

Silver box, the size of a sandwich.... ribbed for your pleasure

and bolts to the fender....

that's what mine is/was. but on the drivers side.... has two plugs of wires...

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakefanning

I have an '81 CJ7. There is a silver metal box on the passenger side fender well under the radiator over flow bottle.There are a lot of wires going in and out. What is it? I can't find it any where on a wiring schematic. It is not the ignition mod.

**Mike Romain** · 03-29-2011, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakefanning

I have an '81 CJ7. There is a silver metal box on the passenger side fender well under the radiator over flow bottle.There are a lot of wires going in and out. What is it? I can't find it any where on a wiring schematic. It is not the ignition mod.

you know this thread is from 2008? I have a brand new centech harness now.

You should have started your own new one.....

That is your ignition module.

jakefanning · 03-30-2011, 01:26 PM

It is not my Ignition Module. My Ignition Module is on the drivers side fender, it is ribbed with two plugs. It is a silver box about 3 inches by 3 inches. It only has one flat plug with 10 wires going in and out.

benullman · 03-30-2011, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakefanning

It is not my Ignition Module. My Ignition Module is on the drivers side fender, it is ribbed with two plugs. It is a silver box about 3 inches by 3 inches. It only has one flat plug with 10 wires going in and out.

Idle speed control. Is the connector white and square? like a Molex style?

Ben

jakefanning · 03-31-2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benullman

Idle speed control. Is the connector white and square? like a Molex style?

Ben

In 81 the carb was not controlled by electronics. There were no wires going into my carb.

benullman · 03-31-2011, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakefanning

In 81 the carb was not controlled by electronics. There were no wires going into my carb.

Does it have the stock carb?

Ben

**dslywalker** · 03-31-2011, 10:17 PM

according to the service manual for 81 it had a idle speed switch on it.It has about 9 wires coming out of it

03-29-2011, 03:44 PM	#8
Truck633 GO ONE MORE!! Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Las Cruces, NM Posts: 892 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Look up Jeephammers post on wiring, I will try to find it and post the llink, but it will be later today. The problem I found with the old harness is when you fix one thing, you move the harness just enough to screw something else up...... __________________ ____________________________________________ You don't need a parachute to skydive... You need a parachute to skydive TWICE!!! Originally Posted by schitzangiggles It is no wonder we were the best and brightest, our toys weeded out the really stupid/unlucky one. That way there were less idiots to reproduce. Now since we have child proofed everything, we're being over run with Dee dee deees.